"Once Upon a Time" Review/Recap: "Quiet Minds"
Emma Doherty ‘16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
We lost Neal again, and this time it’s for good. The creators announced that this was a permanent death; no dark or good magic will be able to bring Michael Raymond-James back to the show anytime soon. We’re left to wonder whether this was a creative decision among the writers or if Raymond-James decided he no longer wanted to be a part of the show. Having two other projects he’s involved in seems to back the argument for the latter. This seems like an accurate reason because his death was completely abrupt. Sure it makes sense that the only way to bring Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) back is to give up a life for a life, but it’s hard to see how Neal could so easily be on board with using dark magic.
Back in the Enchanted Forest he and Belle (Emilie de Ravin) were instructed by Lumiere, an interesting added character, to use a key to open a portal that would resurrect Rumple. Despite Belle telling him that she knew it was a bad idea and that he would regret it, he didn’t listen and paid the price greatly. We know he wanted to get back to Henry (Jared Gilmore) more than anything, but with his history with dark magic, how are we to believe that he would overlook all the warning signs and use it anyways.
Speaking of Regina, we finally get a scene with her and Robin Hood (Sean Maguire) in Storybrooke. It’s been said in interviews with Lana Parrilla that Regina and Robin’s relationship will definitely blossom, and in this episode it was easy to see how that is true. The two actors have incredible chemistry, but it will be interesting to see how long it takes for Regina to trust again and open up to somebody. The end scene with her watching Robin with the adorable Roland was very emotional. You could see the conflict in her eyes as she watched the man that has been prophesied to be her soul mate. It was emotional to see her admiring the way he acts with his son, who reminds her of the one thing she wants more than anything: Henry.
We now know that Zelena (Rebecca Mader) is after “what she doesn’t have”, according to Rumple, and this could mean she is after Snow and Charming’s baby. This seems very likely, especially if the parallels are true. We know her sister, Regina, was planning on taking the Charming’s first child, and since the baby is a product of true love and having magical abilities, it doesn’t make sense for Zelena not to want him/her. The fact that it took them this long to figure out who the Wicked Witch was is a little concerning, especially due to the fact that she had a giant green gemstone hanging around her neck. What happened to the sly observant Snow White? Or Emma, who used be able to spot a lie immediately? Anyway, the battle between sisters next week is sure to be dramatic, and we get to hear more about Zelena’s back story.
Make sure to watch this Sunday at 8/7c on ABC.
Overall Episode Grade: A-